Agrippa’s response

“King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe.” (1) At this moment, the balance of power between Paul and Agrippa was reversed. (a) Agrippa was expected to believe in the prophets since he was the overseer of the temple and had the authority to appoint the high priest. (b) If that were true, he should also acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah. (2) Agrippa faced a dilemma: (a) If he agreed with Paul, he would lose face before Festus and the other Romans. (b) If he denied believing in the prophets, he would provoke the opposition of the Jews. Either response would be disadvantageous for Agrippa. (1) “Agrippa replied to Paul, ‘In a short time, are you are going to persuade me to make a Christian of myself?’” Agrippa avoided giving a direct answer and instead responded with sarcasm to evade the question. (2) In response, Paul said: “And Paul said, ‘I would wish to God that even in a short or long time not only you, but also all who hear me this day would become such as I myself am, except for these chains.’” Paul expressed his desire for everyone listening to him to become as he was. The phrase “except for these chains” was a subtle sarcasm, highlighting his imprisonment. (3) “The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them…” (a) The king, the governor, and Bernice stood up, signaling that the hearing had ended. (b) Those who were seated stood up as a gesture of respect toward King Agrippa. (c) After leaving, they acknowledged that Paul was innocent. (4) “And Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.’” Paul was declared innocent four times: (a) By the Pharisees (Acts 23:9). (b) By the Roman commander, Claudius Lysias (Acts 23:29). (c) By the Judean governor, Festus (Acts 25:25). (d) By King Agrippa. (5) Luke devoted a significant portion of his writing to Paul’s trials and defenses. While the goal was to establish his innocence, Paul was ultimately released. The Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) were written after his release. The tragedy of King Agrippa lies in the fact that he was almost persuaded but did not come to believe. No matter how favorably one views the gospel, if they do not believe, they will share the same fate as those who oppose it. Let us pray that the time to decide will come to those who seeks.